'9 to 5' Clocks Overtime at Drama Desk

By
David Sheward
| Posted April 27, 2009, 1:15 p.m.

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Photo Source: Joan Marcus

9 to 5, the musical version of the 1980 hit movie comedy, received a generous stimulus package from the Drama Desk, netting a record 15 nominations from the organization of New York-based theatre critics, reporters, and editors for its annual awards. The nominations were announced April 27 at the Friars Club by previous Drama Desk Award winners Faith Prince and Jim Dale. The previous record for most nominations was 14, shared by five shows—The Secret Garden, Ragtime, The Producers, Hairspray, and The Drowsy Chaperone. 9 to 5 opens March 30 on the same night as Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Waiting for Godot which received two nominations. These are the last two productions of the 2007-08 Broadway season.

Unlike the Tony Awards, the DDs consider Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway equally in all of its categories. The nominations were determined by a seven-member committee, chaired by Barbara Siegel of TalkinBroadway.com and TheatreMania.com. The winners will be voted on by the membership and presented on May 17 in a ceremony at the LaGuardia Concert Hall in Lincoln Center.

Special awards will be presented to Liza Minnelli for her career and her performance in Liza's at the Palace, Forbidden Broadway which recently concluded a nearly three-decade run Off-Broadway; the Atlantic Theatre Company; TADA! Youth Theater; and the casts of the revivals of The Cripple of Inishmaan and The Norman Conquests for ensemble performance.

There were several unexpected inclusions and omissions in the nomination list. The Story of My Life, the two-character tuner which received mixed to bad reviews and barely eked out a week's run at the Booth Theatre, garnered four nominations while several highly touted productions such as All My Sons, Irena's Vow, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and Rock of Ages were shut out completely. Also missing from the list were such noted performances as Tovah Felshuh in Irena's Vow, Harriet Walter in Mary Stuart, Kristin Scott Thomas in The Seagull, and Nathan Lane in Waiting for Godot. Another noticeable omission was the three young boys who alternate in the lead role of Billy Elliot. The Drama Desk press release explained, "Only one actor playing Billy in Billy Elliot was seen by all the nominators, who were not invited to see the other two for consideration unless the Drama Desk executive board agreed to classify all three separate performances as one unit for outstanding actor in a musical. The board rejected that request, as well as the request that as an alternative no actor playing Billy be considered." The Tony Awards have ruled the three Billy will be eligible for one joint nomination and the Outer Critics Circle solved the dilemma by presenting a special award to the trio.

Broadway productions of Next to Normal, Dividing the Estate, and [title of show] were eligible for Drama Desks in their Off-Broadway incarnations in previous seasons and declared ineligible this season.

Outstanding Book of a MusicalSteven Cosson and Jim Lewis, This Beautiful CityJoe DiPietro, The Toxic AvengerLee Hall, Billy Elliot The MusicalBrian Hill, The Story of My LifeDavid Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The MusicalPatricia Resnick, 9 to 5

Outstanding Set Design of a PlayDale Ferguson, Exit the KingRob Howell, The Norman ConquestsDavid Korins, Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love ThemDerek McLane, 33 VariationsNeil Patel, Fifty WordsWalt Spangler, Desire Under the Elms

Unique Theatrical ExperienceAbsinthe (2008 Edition)Arias With a TwistCelebrity Autobiography: In Their Own WordsDésirSoul of ShaolinSurrender

Outstanding Ensemble Performances

The cast of The Cripple of InishmaanThe cast of The Norman Conquests

Special Awards

Liza Minnelli, a beloved American musical theater icon, for her enduring career of sustained excellence, and her glorious performance in Liza's at the Palace.

Forbidden Broadway at the end of its nearly three-decade run and the creators, casts and designers who made it an unparalleled New York institution cherished for its satire and celebration of Broadway.

Atlantic Theater Company and artistic director Neil Pepe for exceptional craftsmanship, dedication to excellence and productions that engage, inspire and enlighten.

TADA! Youth Theater for providing an invaluable contribution to the future of the theater. The company makes outstanding training and experience accessible and affordable to young people and mounts productions remarkable for their quality and professionalism.